Automatic air-brake coupling.



- ihicooeo yaw No; 861,043. I QATENTED JULY 23, 19 07.

T.'B. MOMILLAN. AUTOMATIC AIR BRAKE COUPLING.

' APPLIOA TION IILBD JAN. 19, 1907.

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TTIOMASB. MCMILLAN, OF SHERRY, TEXAS.

AUTOMATIC AIR-BRAKE COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1907.

Application filed January 19,1907. Serial No. 353,136.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, Tuoin s t5. MUMILLAN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Sherry, in the county of lted River and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Air-Brake Couplings, oi-which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to an automatic air brake coupling, the. object of the invention being to provide. a coupling of this character whereby a q uick coupling act ion between the coupling members on opposing cars may be effected in an automatic manner without the necessity of a trainman going between cars to unite the couplings. i

Another object is to provide a coupling in which the coupling members on the cars will adjust themselves to variations in the hei-glitsbf cars, to d'iliorent positions to conlorni to curves in the tracks, and are supported so as to he el't'eetually cushioned during the coupling action. A still further object is toprovidc a coupling which is adaptable for use on freight or passenger cars, which is simple of construction, comparatively inexpensive of product ion and adapted to give the engineer-oi the train complete control ol' the brakes as soon as the cars are coupled together, without. the necessity of any coupling ot' hoses alter the ear couplers proper are joined.

in the -.tccompaeying tlrawing,--Figure 1 is a side elevation of connected couplers of two opposing cars embodying my invention, portions oi the cars being shown in longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is a top plan view ol the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation, the heads appearing in longitudinal section.

ltelerring to the. drawings, l and 2 represent; end por- [ions of two (:1 s equipped with my improved coupling devices 3 and t. These coupling devices are similar in etmstructiim, so that a description ol one will sutlice for both. I

llxtendiug longitudinally upon the underside of the supporting portion ol' the car and suitablysecured thereto is a bracket 5, the rear end of which is bent to l'orin a supporting portion t; for a. bolt 7 carrying at its lower end a guide ring or yoke 8. .',lhe coupling proper comprises a head it providedwith a rearwardly extending shank or stem l0 projecting at its rear end through the yoke H in which it is slidably mounted to permit the eoupling to move in a direction longitudinally of the car. coiled cushioning spring I l surroululsthe shank between the head ti and yoke to normally maintain the coupling head in a predetermined position and to cusllion the impact. when another coupler comes in contact. tln-rewith. A key ll, passing through the rear end oi shank .lt), abuts against, yoke S to limit the forward movement of the coupler and prevent the shank from being pulled out. of the yoke in uncoupling.-

lhe head E3 is provided with an air passage or duct 12 o ening at its rear end through one side thcreoiand at its forward end through the abutting face of the head, the said rear end ol the duct being in communication with a hose pipe 13 suitably attached to the head and adapted to connect the. SitllltfZWlllLtllfi proximate end of the train pipe. The abutting lace ol' the coupling head extends laterally in the form oi a compound curve, so that; the convex portion of the ace of one coupler head will fit into the concave face of the head of the opposing coupler, and vice versa, the form of the c0 ncave face being such as to provide upon each coupling head guide surfaces, whei'cby the abutting laces of the heads 01' opposing couplers may ride easy into contact with one another. I

It should be stated that the coupling heads are arranged in rights and lelts upon the opposite ends ol each car, the arrangement being such that the convex portion of the coupling head at one end of the car will be on one side and the concave face on the other side of the longitudinal center of the head, and the parts ol the abutting l'aee ol' the other coupler relatively reversely arranged so that the couplers upon opposing cars will come together with their concave and their convex laces intertitting, as clearly illustrated in the drawing. The convex lace of each coupling head is provided with a tongue or projection 14 adapted to engage a receiving group 15 in the coneaved face of the.

opposing coupler,-as illustrated in Fig. 2, the arrangement being such that. the tongues and grooves of two connected couplets will seal the joint between the abutting faces and-prevent to a large extent the escape ol air flowing through the ducts 12. Each coupling head may be provided with a single duct or a pluformed.

By the arrangement of the couplers in rights and lofts it will he understood that the shoulder and coupling spring ot' one coupling head will be respectively disposed at top and bottom thereof, while the. corresponding parts of the othercoupling head will be reverscly arranged, so that the parts will unite in the manner shown. I

The forward portion ol the b'aoket 5 is bent downward to form an arm lt) supporting chains or other tlexihle connections which are attached at their lower iree ends to the sides of the coupling head 9 and support the same in position, while permitting said head to have vertical and lateral play to adapt .it to swing freely to accommodate itself to vertical and lateral play of the cars in running and rounding-curves.

shank, a cushioning springgabout the shank between the ,coupling head and guide, and a flexible connection depend It, will be understood that in operation, when two cars come together the abutting faces of the'two coupling heads thereon will ride in contact and mutually adjust themselves to duct closing position; and the locking springs will slide over and snap into engagement with the shoulders, thus locking the couplings together securely enough to effect an airtight connection between them. In the separation of the cars,

when the ordinary car couplings'are disconnected, a

im, from the bracket and head. 1 I v 2. In an automatic air brake coupling, :1 bracket se cured to the underside of a car, a yoke supported by movubly supportiin, the coupling the rear end offthe bracket, a coupling head having'a shankslidably supported by the yoke, a cushioning spring, about the shank between the coupling head and guide, and a flexible connection between the forward end of the bracket and the coupling head, movably supported.

3. In an automatic air brdke coupling, a coupler head provided with an air passage and having a coinpoundly curved abutting face, the convex portion ofthe curve being provided with a tongue and the concave portion with a recess.

. 4. In an automatic air brake coupling, the combina tion of a bracket having its front and rear ends bent downwardly to form supporting portionsja bolt connected with the rear supporting portion and carrying a yoke, a

coupler head having a shank sli'dably supported by the:

whereby the latter is yoke, a cushioning spring about the shank between the l coupler heml'and yoke. and a flexible connection between the coupler head and front supporting portion of the bracket. 5. In an automatic air brake coupling, a coupler head curved abutting'fuce, one portion of the curve being,- provided with :1 tongue and the other with a recess.

In testimony whereof,- I aflix my signature in presenceprovided with annair passage and having a compoundly 

